When I say, Jesus take the wheel, I mean that literally. I was 25 when I had my first panic attack.  My husband and I were driving home from his parent’s lake house in Canada. We figured we'd drive a few hours and then stop for the night. What we didn't know was that it was a national Canadian holiday and there were no hotel rooms for at least 200 miles.  

We tried to make the best of it but the day had taken its toll on us and we were both exhausted. It was late at night and I was driving when the anxiety and exhaustion caught up to me and I was suddenly in a place of panic that I had never felt before. 

That was over 40 years ago and that memory hung like a dark cloud over me every time I got behind the wheel. I would no sooner get on the ramp of the interstate and I would start to sweat as the negative thoughts raced through my head. It got so bad that eventually I gave in to the fear and decided only to drive on back roads. 

That compromise worked and I got to where I needed to go but it came with a price…shame. When we let the negative thoughts and fears consume us, there is always a price to pay.  I knew in my heart I needed to stand up to this fear but I was too afraid to do it.  

There's a verse in Psalm 34 that talks about shame: 

"I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame."  Psalms 34:4-5  

When we look to God and lay our fears before Him, our countenance will reflect His glory and shame cannot stand in His presence. I found that out today.   

Someone challenged me to confront my fear of driving. They suggested I start slow and only drive one exit.  At first I was horrified but what they said next gave me courage. They said, Jesus is the same God on the back roads as He is on the highway. 

I got in my car and made my way to the interstate ramp. The next thing I knew, I had driven 5 miles and exited on the ramp toward home.  No panic but most of all, the absence of shame. 

Most of us deal with shame on some level. Yours may be similar to mine where a particular fear has kept you a prisoner. I encourage you to go to the Lord, lay it at His feet and seek Him with everything in you. He will give you the wisdom, strength and courage you need and He will break the hold of shame over your life even if it's one exit at a time. 

Lord, we are here to sit in Your presence. May we behold Your glory. As we seek You, deliver us from all our fears. Let us come away saturated with Your joy and Your peace. Guard our hearts and our minds as we move forward believing that we will know Your strength as we take the first step. Shame has no power over us when we look to You. Whether it is the beginning or the end of the day, fill us with a fresh resolve to trust in You. May Your Holy Spirit guide us and direct us in all truth. Amen

 

In the Midst of Chaos

By Eileen Glotfelty • July 30, 2025
“His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.” Nahum 1:3 Another word for whirlwind is chaos. That's a word I know well. From the moment I was born, I lived in a chaotic environment. Chaos continued to follow me as I grew up and finally into my own family. The funny thing is, I never recognized it. I thought it was normal and I learned to thrive in it. Left unchecked, chaos will take its toll. It attacks our nervous systems and spreads havoc physically and mentally. So how do we stop it? First, we stop and do a life check. This is when we take a long hard look at what's going on in and around us. Much of our chaos is caused by our response to our circumstances. For example, when I get caught up in someone else's drama, I create chaos in my own life. It's especially hard if the drama is going on under the same roof. I've had to learn that people will figure things out on their own and don't need me to be involved. As a fixer and a rescuer, that was an important lesson to learn. When it comes to faith, I've realized that when I jump into the chaos and try to fix it, I'm thinking that my way out is the only way and pridefully, the best way…even better than God's. The arrogance of it brings me to my knees. So now, I look at that verse from Nahum and I ask God to show me His way. If it's chaos that's out of our control, God's way is the only way out. I always wondered what it meant about the clouds being the dust of His feet. As I thought about it, I could see that clouds don't stand still. They move. The dust of His feet imply movement as well; so I think it's safe to say that God is on the move in the midst of the chaos. As I write this, I am over my head in chaos. It feels like a never ending battle. After reading that verse, I decided to take some time and see if there was any “dust.” It didn't take long to see it. God was moving through this storm. It wasn't the direction I would've gone so I almost missed Him. I don't know exactly what He's doing or where this is going but just knowing He's moving gives me the strength to hang on. Lord, when I get overwhelmed with the chaos, help me to see that You are on the move. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Even Though You Can't See Me

By Eileen Glotfelty • June 25, 2025
Over the past four weeks, I have traveled from California to Wyoming to Colorado. All had something special to see. California had hot air balloons floating over the vineyards. In Wyoming there were tumbleweeds, miles of prairie and horses being ridden through downtown streets. Both were fascinating but the scene that captured me most was in Colorado. My family's home overlooks a plain that runs over to join the Rocky Mountains. As beautiful as that is, nothing can compare with one specific mountain that rises taller than the others. Pikes Peak stands 14,000 feet above sea level and its presence commands a sense of majesty. Every morning as I stood there taking in its beauty, I would remember the words, “I lift my eyes up to the hills where my help comes from…” For me, it wasn't just a mountain, it was a revelation of the presence of God and I needed that reminder. There have been many times that I've prayed and prayed about a person or situation that weighed heavy on my heart. Most of the time it involved circumstances that were beyond my control. I knew what I thought needed to happen and happen quickly but it didn't. It seemed like my prayers fell on deaf ears. On my last day in Colorado, I went to look out the window to have one final look at that majestic mountain. To my dismay, the mountains were covered by a dense fog that made them invisible. If I didn't know better, I wouldn't know they were there. As I stood there wrestling with disappointment, I heard these words, “even though you can't see it, it's still there.” I knew this wasn't just talking about the mountain. God was letting me know that even if things aren't working out the way I want and I don't understand, He is still there behind the chaos and behind the doubt working to bring about His perfect plan…in His time, not mine. Now it's a matter of trust. Will I choose to let go and leave it in His hands? Will I choose to trust Him when I don't understand? And will I choose to believe that He has a good and perfect plan that surpasses anything I could imagine? This is a question I may have to ask myself every day in every situation. In my heart I want to so I'm choosing to lay the struggles at His feet. He'll take care of the rest.

What If

By Eileen Glotfelty • May 30, 2025
This is something I have asked myself for a long time. It usually goes something like this: What if I can't pay the bills? What if I get sick and can't take care of myself? What if I'm never free of the pain? You get the picture. I've always been the one on high alert and looking for trouble around every corner waiting for the other shoe to drop. The sad thing is that I didn't know there was another way…until now. Now I choose to look at the glass half full. It's not always easy because I was programmed in the negative for so long. It's a conscious effort to take a hold of those thoughts and turn them around but every time I do, the anxiety and fear is replaced with peace. For example, currently I'm on a flight to California. Never been there. Don't know the people I'm staying with. Everything fits into the category of “the unknown.” Normally I would be in panic mode but I've made the decision to turn the what ifs around from “What if the plane crashes? " to "What if I trust God to get me there safely?” “What if I don't know what to do when I get there and I feel awkward? to "What if I meet some great people who become special friends?” and one more: “What if I don't get what I came for and I return home disappointed? to "What if I am blessed beyond anything I can imagine and leave there better than I came?” As I encourage myself, I encourage you. You can do this. You know why…because God gave us His word and that's all we need. There are many that I hold onto but here are a few: “I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Me because he trusts in me.” “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Today is a new day full of what ifs. It all depends how you look at it. What if…